Streaming Help

The WFMT streaming player is the most versatile option for listening online, offering a computer platform and web browser agnostic stream that automatically adjusts to the amount of internet bandwidth available, ensuring a continuous listening experience. This player does does not require additonal web browser plugins, but a modern, updated browser is recommended. Verify whether your browser is up-to-date here.

Other streaming options are also available, but require either web browser plugins or desktop player applications. If you are having trouble accessing the WFMT stream from these other streaming options, it may be due to your computer’s media file preference settings, a web browser plugin issue, or a media player compatibility issue. Please note: you must have the Adobe Flash Player, WinAmp, Windows Media Player, iTunes, or RealPlayer installed on your computer in order to access these other streaming options. Visit the websites below for detailed installation, set-up and upgrade instructions for the media player you have chosen.

The WFMT Live Stream is the online equivalent of the 98.7WFMT on-air broadcast and is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, because the live stream is distributed across the internet, there will be an inherent latency so that what you will hear online may be slightly delayed when compared to the on-air broadcast (anywhere from a microsecond to a few seconds).

WFMT.com currently offers live streaming in two digital compression formats, AAC-LC and MP3.

AAC-LC is one of the most efficient audio compression formats and is utilized by prominent streaming networks such as NPR and the BBC. The recommended players for the AAC-LC stream include the WFMT streaming player, WinAmp, and ITunes. The WFMT streaming player AAC-LC stream is delivered at bit rates from 64kbps to 256kbps, depending on the available bandwidth of your internet connection. The WinAmp and ITunes AAC-LC streams are available at 128kbps.

The MP3 format is the most widely adopted internet streaming format and plays in a variety of player types: the WFMT Premium Music player, the Windows Media Player, iTunes, and RealPlayer. The WFMT MP3 stream is available at a bit rate of 128kbps.

Ideally, yes. Most dial-up modem Internet connections won’t be able to sustain a download speed necessary to provide uninterrupted playback of the streams. However, some Internet Service Providers are providing enhanced or higher-speed dial-up service.

You can listen to the WFMT live stream online by clicking the Listen button found at the top of wfmt.com webpages. Doing so will launch the WFMT live stream player serving either a 64kbps, 128kbps, or 256kbps AAC-LC stream of the WFMT broadcast.

You may also select the “More Formats” button below the WFMT live stream player to access 128kbps MP3 and AAC-LC streams formatted for use in media players: WinAmp, Windows Media Player, iTunes, or RealPlayer. Please note that you may have a default player setting on your computer that will override your own selection of how you’d like to listen to the stream. These default settings can be changed by accessing your operating system preferences or options.

If you find that your router, gateway, or firewall prohibits launching the streaming player of your choice on the “More Formats” web page, you can use the following URLs to manually program your device:

Yes. Please follow the instructions provided by Apple to listen via WFMT’s iTunes Internet Radio station or to connect directly using the WFMT streaming URL. Within ITunes Internet Radio, WFMT can be found under the Classical category, which is sorted alphabetically.

Yes, the WFMT stream can be accessed through any device that accepts a broadcast internet stream. You many find that in programming your device, the device instruction manual refers to one of the many wifi/internet station aggregator websites (vTuner, Wifiradio-frontier, ect.).** However, these aggregators may not have the correct playlist for WFMT’s stream listed in their online directory. Below, find the correct playlist (.m3u) that can programmed directly into your device.

**Please note: WFMT does not control the playlists listed on third party websites. Any problems encountered when using these websites are the responsibility of the individual website and must be addressed by that website’s support resources.

The library of music in the premium area is reserved for WFMT members at the $40 level or above. You can access this rich library, and listen on-demand whenever you like, if you are an active WFMT member at $40 level or by giving a gift of $40 to 98.7WFMT right now.

Make sure that a media player is installed on your computer. You can download one for FREE by clicking the links at the top of this page. Once your media player of choice is installed, restart your computer and try again.

If your media player opens when clicking on a live stream link but you still can’t hear anything, confirm your speakers are on and the volume is turned up.

If clicking on the link doesn’t automatically open a media player, then copy and paste the URL into the location bar of your player.

If you are listening at work, your company may have a “firewall” enabled to securely protect its internal data or there are settings on your browser or computer that won’t allow external data to be fed to you. If this is the case, please contact your IT department.

If you are using a computer that is not connected to a firewall, consult the support documentation related to file type associations. This documentation can be found on your operating system’s website or in “Help” on your computer.

You may need to reconfigure your settings on your new browser so it recognizes plug-ins associated with your media player. Reinstalling the media player software using your new browser may solve the problem.

This may be due to Internet congestion during certain periods of the day. Internet bandwidth that is required to transmit the stream is limited, and this limitation creates the traffic congestion that causes the audio signal to buffer or stop completely. The stream data is not lost during these congested periods, but it is held up until adequate bandwidth is available to receive the data.

Also, playing the WFMT live stream through the WFMT popup player (via the Listen Live button) for an extended period may fill your browser’s cache and cause the stream to buffer or stop. This can be remedied by clearing your browser cache. For help in clearing your browser cache, please follow these instructions.

Aside from directly cabling your computer to your stereo receiver, there are wireless stereo receiver and computer transmitter components that allow reception of a wireless stream directly from a computer or the internet. Please check with your local audio/video store for more information and to find the solution that works best for you.

The reliability of our streams is extremely important to us. We monitor the streams throughout the day and have set up a system whereby we are notified when the stream is interrupted. However, sometimes we may miss an alert. If you notice something awry with any of our streams, please contact us immediately and we will work to resolve the problem.

dennis's morning quiz

Today is the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach, and our question concerns one of Bach’s cantatas. On his Almanac this morning, Carl Grapentine played the opening of Bach’s 214th Cantata, which you may immediately recognize as the joyful opening of a much more famous choral piece by Bach. The Cantor of Leipzig added different words and recycled this as the beginning of what major work?